Joel Embiid Explains Exchange With Kevin Durant After Sixers Defeat Nets

The Philadelphia 76ers paid a visit to the Brooklyn Nets for the second time this season on Thursday night. With one final matchup on the road before the end of

The Philadelphia 76ers paid a visit to the Brooklyn Nets for the second time this season on Thursday night. With one final matchup on the road before the end of 2021, the Sixers were doing all they could to end the year on a positive note.

Philly knew that Thursday’s matchup wouldn’t be easy. Not only have they lost to the top-seeded Nets twice already this season, but Brooklyn is also getting healthy again as key players such as Kevin Durant, James Harden, and LaMarcus Aldridge we’re among those back in the mix.

But the Sixers entered Thursday’s matchup with a win by any means necessary mentality. In the first quarter alone, the Sixers put up nearly 40 points and drained over 50-percent of their shots from the field.

While that first-quarter success wasn’t sustained in the second quarter, the Sixers still had a lead over the Nets at halftime. As expected, Brooklyn wasn’t going to go out easy. Considering they’re the top team in the Eastern Conference, the Sixers anticipated a tough battle in the second half.

Joel Embiid and the Sixers were on a mission to upset the top dogs in the East, and the star center got a little payback in doing just that. During the Sixers’ previous matchup in Brooklyn earlier this month, Nets star Kevin Durant boasted his team’s win and taunted the Sixers by telling them to go home.

Embiid, a self-proclaimed on-court troll, went ahead and did the same on Thursday night as the Sixers were on their way to sealing the deal and taking the Nets out for the first time this year. 

“That’s the best team in the conference,” Embiid said after the game. “Obviously, I respect them a lot. Judging by the way he was acting last time, that’s the same thing he told us. Basically, we returned the favor, but there’s a lot of respect. I always tell people I think I can do everything on the basketball court. There’s not a lot of guys that are able to do it, and if there was one player that I think is more talented than me, it’s definitely him. I have a lot of respect for him and admire his game.”

The Sixers closed out the year of 2021 with an impressive 110-102 win over Brooklyn. Now, they’ll head into the new year with some confidence as they picked up a third consecutive win before their Monday night matchup against the Houston Rockets at home next week. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.